Following German Synagogue Shooting, Israel’s UN Envoy Urges World to ‘Declare War on Antisemitism’

Following Wednesday’s deadly attack outside a German synagogue, Israel’s UN envoy has called on the international community to “declare war on antisemitism.”Ambassador Danny Danon urged the president of the Security Council and the UN to “condemn the terrorist attack in Germany and take action against anti-Semitic terrorism.”

“The scourge of anti-Semitism is spreading in Europe, but threatens the entire world,” Danon said. “The international community must declare war on anti-Semitism and act firmly to end hatred of the Jewish people around the world. Jews should not have to look over their shoulders in fear for their lives during prayer.”

On Thursday, the suspected perpetrator of the shootings in the central German city of Halle, identified as Stephan B., was flown by a police helicopter to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe.

Germany’s federal prosecutor said the gunman wanted to commit a massacre and hoped to incite others to copy him by live-streaming his rampage.

Dozens of people were at the synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, when the assailant tried to blast his way in — only to fail to breach the solid locked gates.

A woman passer-by in the street and a man in a nearby kebab restaurant were subsequently killed by the attacker before he was tracked down and arrested.